Carers Advisory Board

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Carers Advisory Board

Rethink Mental Illness Carers Advisory Board

Our Carers Advisory Board is made up of people with experience of caring for someone severely affected by mental illness. They bring the carers perspective to our work, providing an advisory role and helping shape all that we do at Rethink Mental Illness.

Join the Carers Advisory Board

We are delighted to say we are recruiting new members to our Carers Advisory Board (CAB).

We want CAB to continue to be a diverse, supportive, inclusive forum for carers to use their vital experience to change the world of mental health.

What does a CAB member do?

Established in 2021, CAB is a driving force of caring experience at Rethink Mental Illness. From advising on the issues affecting carers and championing carers’ voices to shaping our campaigns and services, there is always something to get involved with through CAB.

Here are just some of the Rethink Mental Illness activities that CAB members have been involved in recently:

Being involved in recruitment of staff to the charity
Bringing the carer perspective to all of the work that we do
Advising us on the issues affecting carers and the solutions to the challenges they face
Shaping key campaigns, such as Carers' Week and National Schizophrenia Awareness Day

What are the benefits of being a CAB member?

Connecting with others carers of someone severely affected by mental illness
Having your voice heard and be able to make a difference
Helping shape the work of Rethink Mental Illness
Receiving support, training and development opportunities
Being valued, respected & rewarded

“We were consulted on the new Corporate Strategy and agreed that carers should have an organisational focus directly on their own needs, as well as on the needs of their loved ones. We have also contributed to the planning for Carers’ Week and National Schizophrenia Awareness Day.”

Philippa, Chair of CAB Philippa, Chair of CAB

When does CAB meet?

CAB meet around four times a year. And members can also get involved in additional opportunities outside of meetings around areas of interest.

Most CAB meetings are held online, with two in-person meetings per year, but there is an option to join these in-person meetings online.

Are there costs involved with CAB?

Rethink Mental Illness reimburses members for any costs incurred from their involvement. This includes organising and reimbursing travel to the in-person meetings, which are usually held at our London offices.

Who can become a member?

CAB is open to people who have experience of caring for someone severely affected by mental illness as an unpaid carer (e.g. caring for a friend/ relative affected by mental illness), who are 18 years of age or over and who live in England. If you are under 18 years of age but want to get involved with Rethink Mental Illness, please do still get in touch, and we can let you know about other opportunities.

As an inclusive and anti-racist organisation, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to the involvement of people from all caring perspectives. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates we have identified to be underrepresented on the Carers Advisory Board (CAB).

These include people from the following communities:

Black, Asian and ethnic minoritised communities
People identifying as LGBTQIA+
Young adult carers
Male carers
People living with a physical disability
People with parental responsibility for children under 18
People from a range of faith backgrounds

How do I apply to join?

There are three ways you can apply to join the Carers Advisory Board.

Online

Complete an online expression of interest here.

By Email

Download this expression of interest form and this diversity monitoring form.

Email your completed forms to: involvement@rethink.org.

By post

You can post this expression of interest form and this diversity monitoring form to:

Rethink Mental Illness Involvement Team, Laura Abbott, Head of Involvement, Rethink Mental Illness, 28 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7GR

If you require a hard copy, email involvement@rethink.org.

What do the forms include?

The Expression of Interest form asks for some basic information about you, your areas of interest, why you’d like to become a CAB member and what you think you would bring to CAB. The Diversity Monitoring form will help us know who we are reaching and will also help CAB be as diverse and representative of the communities in the England we serve.